Garrison States
Located southeast of Parlera, nestled between the border of the Lurkwood and the Crystal Marsh, The Garrison States are an ever-shifting confederation of minor kingdoms and nations that are eternally at war with each other. The borders of different realms within it are constantly changing as one realms conquers another, in whole or in part. Some microstates in the region encompass hundreds of square miles, while others are so small that they occupy only fortresses and building complexes. While it may change in the near future, the two largest and strongest realms within the Garrison States are the Kingdom of Matilda and the Duchy of Camaro. The Garrison States were established in UC 709, when three Parleran generals were exiled from the country after their coup to overthrow the kingdom’s monarchy was discovered. The three generals were unhappy that the Fifty-Year War between Parlera and the Elves of Ninthrill Forest had ended. They sought to size control of the country and continue the war, eradicating their Elven enemies for good. When the conspiracy was discovered, the conspirators and their supporters were able to exert enough political and economic influence to lobby the King Isolden and royal family to exile them, rather than execute them, as is the case with the majority of traitors to country or crown. Along with high ranking co-conspirators, their families, and supporters among Parlera’s military and civilian population, three realms were founded- Matilda, Camaro and Zalant. Initially, the three kingdoms were united in purpose- they wanted revenge against Parlera. They knew that their former kingdom’s military power far outstripped their own, so the three decided to bide their time and wait until they would be able to extract their revenge. In 730, one of the sons of Duke of Camaro declared independence from his father, establishing his own microstate within Camaro. He spurred on two noblemen from Zalant to do the same, fracturing that nation into two. When the Duke of Camaro put down the rebellion in his own kingdom, the rebels found refuge in the splintered Zalant, and established their own realm there, gifted the land by the noblemen they helped spur into rebellion. This process would repeat itself twice more before the century turned, and the conflict that Matilda, Camaro and Zalent were eyeing suddenly turned inward. In 970, the leaders of Kingdom of Matilda and the Duchy of Camaro proposed a meeting with the other leaders of the various feuding microstates, prompted by the fall of Zalant. This meeting, known as the Three-Point Conference, was designed to address three issues concerning all of the nations involved- territorial integrity, domestic relations, and international relations. The Three-Point Conference saw the various microstates unify as the Garrison States on the international stage, to enact alliances and treaties with Parlera, the Hedgelands, and other countries abroad. The Garrison States are still a chaotic, unruly land, but after the Three-Point Conference, the political climate cooled somewhat. Numerous realms have risen, fallen, and splintered since, but the conference gave the nations a sense of identity and solidarity that has made the region a great deal more secure since.